Cyprus

Cyprus’s fishing sector is powered by its small-scale fisheries (SSF), which make up most of the country’s 780-vessel fleet. These traditional, low-tech boats are central to coastal life and identity but face increasing pressure from climate change and invasive species.

To modernize the sector, the case study is piloting Electronic Monitoring Systems (EMS) on versatile boats using various gear types, including for large pelagic fish. While automated AI analysis is still in progress, current manual data extraction is helping build a centralized platform for smarter decision-making.

The second part of the case study looks at the spread of non-indigenous species (NIS) through the Suez Canal is a major ecological challenge. Many NIS are toxic or unsuitable for traditional markets, threatening both biodiversity and SSF viability. To address this, the case study will:

• Develop a co-map of NIS hotspots to guide response efforts.
• Create a species occurrence platform to monitor new arrivals and trigger early warnings.
• Support projects exploring innovative uses for invasive species, such as bioactive compounds in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals
  
  

Together, these tools aim to make Cyprus’s fisheries more adaptive, sustainable, and resilient in the face of ecological and climate-related shifts.